This invention relates generally to the art of kites and more particularly to winged kites having shapes of birds, butterflies, insects, angels, winged men, and other flying winged objects.
Although there are a number of winged kites which are intended to look like birds, or the like when flying, most of them do not really resemble such things because tethers therefor are usually attached at two positions along bottom keels thereof, with the kites being thereby held at unnatural angles of attack for birds. In these positions, such kites react to wind in the same general manner as do normally shaped kites, that is, the wind strikes bottom sides thereof driving them upwardly, and away from a person holding a tether. Thus, they do not appear to be "flying" in the manner of a bird or airplane, but rather to be maintaining a "pulling" balance between the tether, and the wind in the manner of a classical kite. It is a primary object of this invention to provide a winged kite which appears to be flying in the manner of a bird or other flying winged object.
Many prior art kites, including winged kites, are quite unstable, tending to dive to the ground either to the left or to the right in gusts of wind. It is an object of this invention to provide a winged kite which is inherently stable even in wind gusts of relatively high velocities.
Yet another difficulty with many prior art kites, especially winged kites, is that it takes strong winds to fly them. Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a winged kite which is extremely light and which flies easily in relatively light wind velocities.
Similarly, many prior art kites must be flown extremely high to ensure that there is sufficient steady wind for flying them. Because many birds, such as sea gulls and the like, do not fly high, but rather fly low, such kites do not appear to be flying in normal modes for birds. Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a winged kite which can be flown in wind velocities which are both mild and gusty, and therefore can often be flown at very low altitudes. In this regard, it is another object of this invention to provide a winged kite which can fly unattended from a short tether attached to a stationary pole.